Beaufort County man arrested after alleged thefts from Ridgeland convenience store
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
A Beaufort County man who serves as a Jasper County deputy public defender has been charged with petit larceny after state investigators allege he repeatedly stole merchandise from a Ridgeland convenience store over a period of more than two months.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Patrick Alan Hall, 59, on Tuesday, July 28 with one count of petit larceny involving $2,000 or less. The investigation was conducted at the request of the Ridgeland Police Department. Hall was booked into the Jasper County Detention Center.
According to the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense, Hall serves as deputy public defender for Jasper County, based out of the office in Hampton.
According to Jasper County court records, the case was filed in Central Traffic Court on July 28, with a personal recognizance bond of $2,125 set the same day. Hall’s case is scheduled for a Criminal/Traffic Court hearing on Aug. 19 before Magistrate Jacqueline S. Lee.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the alleged thefts occurred between March 3 and May 19 at the Enmarket gas station located at 8250 E. Main Street in Ridgeland.
Investigators allege surveillance video reviewed by an Enmarket employee showed Hall entering the store, selecting items and leaving without paying for some of them. The affidavit states additional surveillance footage showed Hall using the self-checkout kiosk on 15 separate occasions and intentionally failing to scan some of the items.
According to SLED, Hall later admitted during an interview to intentionally stealing beverages from the Enmarket on 17 occasions during the period under investigation, with the total value of the merchandise remaining below $2,000.
When reached for comment the Jasper County Public Defender’s Office confirmed that a Patrick Hall works for them but declined to comment.
Petit larceny involving property valued at $2,000 or less is a misdemeanor under South Carolina law.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.